Android 16 arrives: What smartphones will benefit from the update?
The Android 16 beta, available since January 23, 2025marks the start of a gradual deployment of this new version of the famous operating system. If Google traditionally opens the ball with its Pixel devices, other manufacturers will follow in the coming months. So, what smartphones will benefit from this major update?
Unsurprisingly, Google favors its Pixel range to introduce Android 16. Here are the models already eligible for beta 1:
- Pixel 6, 6 pro and 6a
- Pixel 7, 7 pro and 7a
- Pixel 8, 8 pro and 8a
- Pixel 9, 9 pro, 9 pro XL and 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold
These devices, designed to optimize each new version of Android, benefit from priority access, allowing their users to discover the first features of Android 16 before everyone else.
When will Android 16 arrive on other smartphones brands?
For other brands, compatibility with Android 16 will depend on several factors: the release year, update policies and the manufacturer's commitment. The flagship models of 2024 and 2025 will be almost systematically eligible.
Samsung, for example, should quickly offer Android 16 for its Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultraas well as his Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ And Galaxy S25 Ultra. For its part, Xiaomi could include Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 14 Pro and Xiaomi 14T. OnePlus will probably follow with the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R, while OPPO could integrate its Find X7 and Find N3 models.
For smartphones marketed in 2023, the situation is more uncertain. The mid and high -end models, generally benefiting from a software support from two to three years, should receive Android 16. Conversely, entry -level or older devices may be left behind.
Limited compatibility for old models
Smartphones dating from before 2023 could thus encounter some obstacles. The fragmentation of the Android market complicates the task, each manufacturer applying its own update strategy. Some models may therefore never receive this version, especially among brands less known for their software monitoring.
There Final version of Android 16 should arrive around May or June 2025after the Google I/O conference. If the Pixel will open the way, third -party manufacturers will take several months to follow, making this update accessible to a wider audience by the end of the year.
